It is a sign of the ever-decreasing importance that we attach to meals, and quite possibly a luminous portent of the apocalypse, that a product such as the carbib® exists. In case you have difficulty visualising the carbib (which, as its name suggests, is a bib you wear in the car), you might like to know that it is a waterproof polyester-cotton blend in a fetching taupe colour and looks like a gigantic kipper tie. With handy straps that fasten beneath one of the owner's chins and a french-fry pouch located, feedbag-like, directly under the jowls, the carbib is arguably the zenith of the fusion between man, machine and mealtime.

It would be easy to dismiss the carbib as evidence of America gone even madder. However, we in the UK are world leaders when it comes to drive-by dining. One survey showed that one in 10 UK drivers eat at least one meal per week in their cars and 5% of drivers eat at the wheel at least three times a week. The startlingly obvious reason for this trend is that we are spending more time in our cars. Drivers now cover 2,000 more business miles per year than four years ago and a third of drivers spend between six and 10 hours commuting each week.

Car manufacturers have been quick to provide innovations that make consuming on the move more practical. First came the humble cup-holder, a concept refined to perfection by Saab. It unfolds from the dashboard in a display of overengineering so mesmerising that it almost constitutes a driving hazard. Some cars are even specially designed to withstand food and drink. Ford has a test machine that empties a can of fizzy juice over your automatic gear stick to ensure it is cola-proof.

Designers also provide spaces for entire meals. The Renault Scenic offers backseat passengers flip-down picnic tables, which allow them the chance to enjoy the thrills of the airline dining experience at an altitude of five feet. Many cars also incorporate some form of fridge which uses the air-conditioning system to keep food cold. The Citroën C8 has a refrigerated compartment next to the gear stick for easy access by drivers. Best of all current innovations, the VW Touran allows you to swap the middle seat in the second row with a warm box. Simply by forcing one of the children to walk, it means no one need ever suffer the discomfort of hot-chip lap again.

Dare we dream that in vehicles of the future the sun visor will house a panini-maker?